InTheMoon

Rapper DMX recently revealed that his next album would be his last and final due to what he deems a fake recording industry plagued with payola.
"The soundtrack ["Cradle To The Grave"] is the next joint that's coming out," DMX told AllHipHop.com. "I'm on there, it's some hot joints on there. It's more people but, I can't remember. My next album is not a game and that's also my last album."
While DMX said that he was retiring from rapping, he would continue in the music business as the head of his Bloodline Records imprint.
"A person can walk up to you and feel like they know you," DMX continued. "You pretty much bared your soul to them and for somebody to call it a game it's like you taking away from what it really is."
DMX said that he is finishing his next album and is writing almost four to five songs per day.
"Cradle To The Grave" hits theaters February 28

This story originally ran in December 2000
In 1998 prior to his first album, "It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot," DMX aka Earl Simmons said with conviction, "I’m going to take [rap] somewhere else." Now, three years and about 7 million records later, X has transcended from a self proclaimed "dirty nigga" to one of the most beloved people in music history. Once he dropped "Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood," he became the first artist to debut two albums at #1 on Billboard charts in less than a year. Also, his last album, "And Then There Was X," was the last number one album of the millennium by moving 698, 000 units its first week.

As he promised, He has shifted the music industry the way an earthquake brutally displaces continental plates. In 1998, X plunged the hip hop furor in the middle of the jiggy era that was mastered by Bad Boy’s Puffy Combs. Armed with dagger-like lyrics and a penchant for connecting with the masses of people, DMX shot straight to national prominence. Since, rappers shifted along with DMX, bearing music that was uncompromisingly street. Through X, Ruff Ryders mutated from a small management company to a wildly successful record label. As the leader of the Ruff Ryder fleet, The Lox, Eve and Drag-On have had an easier time flying high because of his popularity. Remember, "Ruff Ryders: Ryde or Die" the crew’s compilation album was Billboard’s 100th album to debut at #1 like most things the Dark Man Unknown has been associated with.

Unquestionably one of the most confounding rappers to emerge from the dungeons of the music industry, X has had his share of legal dilemmas since entering megastardom. In June 1998, he was falsely accused in connection with the rape of a stripper, however DNA tests proved his innocence. In May of 1999, he was charged with assault after allegedly beating a motorist. Later in the same month, X was picked up in connection to a stabbing at a Denver concert but the charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence. In July of 1999, DMX and his wife, Tashera, were charged with possession of an assault weapon, possession of a high capacity magazine, possession of hollow-nosed bullets, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The case is still pending.

Things have changed for X recently though. He left Ruff Ryders Entertainment and has started his own label, Bloodline Records, in an effort to gain control of his career. While terms of the interview required that he not be asked about the matter, it is clearly not a pleasant situation.
On this day, DMX’s patented "I don’t give a fuck" attitude is very much intact as he prepares to depart a posh Canadian hotel, where he is filming "EXit Wounds" with Steven Segal. He's in his own head, confronting his demons and seeking answers. Although he swears he demons that lurk within him, X says, other elements have him wilding out this time

When DMX proclaimed “X Gonna Give It to Ya,” hip-hop’s top dog proved his bite to be as fearsome as his bark as his film “Cradle 2 the Grave” tops the box office, while the accompanying soundtrack lands at number six on the Billboard charts. With a weekend draw of $17.1 million, the martial arts inspired flick knocked “Daredevil” out of the top spot.
The soundtrack to the movie features Eminem, Obie Trice, 50 Cent & G-Unit, Drag-on, Joe Budden and artists from DMX’s fledging Bloodline roster. The album is the first release for X’s imprint with Def Jam.
Dark Man X’s forthcoming album, “It’s Not A Game,” will be the next release for Bloodline and is slated to be the rappers last album. He has been quoted as saying the rap industry is too political and he would have quit last album had it not been for being inspired recently by Nas.

According to MTV, DMX is set to dis Ja Rule on a yet-to-be released song called "Ruled Out" where he alleges his label mate stole his style of rhyming and went on to multi-platinum success with it.
The often-embattled DMX said that Def Jam executives and other associates are firmly against the song, but he is still going to record the song against his former friend.
"They trying to stop me from doing this song called 'Ruled Out.' Everybody in here don't want me to do it - they whining - but I'm gonna do it," he said from a Chicago studio where he is recording material for his new album.
In songs like 2000's "Do You" and "We Don't Give a F**k" from 1998's Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood, DMX has allegedly taken several swipes at JA Rule without saying his name. X suggested that he tried to tell mutual friend, Murder Inc CEO Irv Gotti, his disdain for the JA.
DMX said, "The funny sh*t is that Gotti did the beat ['We Don't Give a F***'], but I see he didn't get the point. I'm like, 'Come on [Gotti], what are you doing?' "
DMX and JA Rule have a long-term relationship that was cemented by Gotti, who signed both as an A&R at Def Jam. With Jay-Z, the pair was supposed to be in an original Murder Inc album project, but the project never happened. All three appeared on the front and back cover of XXL Magazine to promote the ill-fated project.
DMX said that JA Rule has changed his demeanor since becoming a pop/hip-hop sensation.
"One thing I can't really f*** with is how a ni**a change up. If I could stay the same, why can't you? Even if you do change up, don't change up to your ni**as before all this. We was broke together, man," he said.
At one point it was speculated that Gotti originally wanted DMX to be the lead rapper for Murder Inc, but his affiliation with Ruff Ryderz prevented that from occurring.
In related news, DMX and journalist Smokey Fontaine recently finished the rapper's autobiography, "E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX

DMX will embark on his Hoodstock tour, giving fans on the East Coast free outdoor shows on top of an 18 wheeler truck. According to Def Jam, Hoodstock starts Oct. 12th in D.C. and will end in Atlanta on Nov. 1st. The tour will run through Baltimore, Boston, Hartford, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Richmond, Norfolk, Charlotte and Atlanta.
In order to find out when this free concert is going to be coming to your hood, you have to listen to your local radio station for the location and the times. DMX's 4th CD, "The Great Depression," hits stores Oct. 23rd.

DMX recently finished writing "E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX." Co-authored by veteran music journalist Smokey D. Fontaine, the 352 page book chronicles DMX's early childhood, how he became a rapper & his exploits as an international star. "E.A.R.L. is poised to become the most gut-wrenching story of the hip-hop generation," Fontaine told AllHipHop.com. The book hits shelves November 5th.
In related news, DMX is in Chicago putting the final touches on the follow up to 2001's multi-platinum The Great Depression. The single, "Who We Be," from the album was nominated for two MTV Video Music Awards, for Best Rap Video and Breakthrough Video. Dark Man X can also be heard on Jerzee Monet's single, "Most High." X discovered her while he was on tour.

Rapper DMX has confirmed that a sequel to the Hip-Hop cult film Belly is in the works titled Beast.
"It's me, Nas and Hype, [Williams, the director of the film]. I go and get [Nas' character in Africa]," DMX told AllHipHop.com. "We start filming this year."
Released in 1998, Belly is an urban drama centered around Tommy (DMX) and Sincere (Nas), former partners in crime who become estranged after Sincere decides to go straight and Tommy takes on a major drug deal from a Jamaican drug lord.
"We got a sick story and all that," DMX continued. "We're starting this one off how the last one ended and pick it up from there."
The film, which featured Taral Hicks, rappers Method Man and Vita, dancehall artist Louie Rankin and T-Boz from TLC, marked the feature film directorial debut of music video director Hype Williams.
Williams collaborated with Nas on the movie's screenplay.
Like Williams, Belly marked DMX's first venture in to feature films.
The rapper was slated to star in the drama Marble City, but was dropped by the film's producers and replaced by Ving Rhames.
As of press time, there is no word on when Beast will be released theatrically.

Ruff Ryders Records has inked a distribution deal with Virgin Records for signing new acts and releasing compilations.

The Ruff Ryders’ previous distributor, Interscope, will continue to hold the rights to Eve and Jakakiss’ solo material, according to Billboard. Likewise, DMX and his Bloodline imprint will continue dealing with Island Def Jam as they were when Ruff Ryders was with Interscope.

The double R camp will join Rap-A-Lot Records and Gangstarr on the Virgin roster, but the financial details of the deal were not immediately released.

The Dean family (Darrin, Joaquin and Chivon) is among the recent hip-hop executives who have been looking for new homes in the New Year. Jermaine Dupri recently signed a deal to move his So So Def label to Arista and insiders speculate that Sean “P.Diddy” Combs is in negotiations with Universal for his Bad Boy roster.

Fans of the Ruff Ryders gritty sound can expect new releases in the upcoming year from DMX, the LOX, Jin Tha MC and another all-star Ryde or Die compilation.

Piczo